Easing Your Dog's Fears on the 4th of July

Sunday is the 4th of July, a time for patriotic celebration, picnics, parades, and, of course, fireworks. Although it’s an exciting time for us humans, for many of our canine companions, it’s a time of extreme fear. Once the first rocket is launched, these terrified dogs may crawl under a bed, hide in a closet, freeze, pant, and tremble, or try to escape. Last year during the 4th, my friend’s dog broke through their screen door, ran away in terror and was killed by a car. Such a tragedy can be avoided with some simple preparation. Keeping your dog safe on the 4th cannot be emphasized enough.

Leaving Your Dog Home
If you are planning to travel away from your home to watch the Jacksonville Firework Display, or the St. Augustine Firework Display; and if you know – or even suspect – that your dog may be afraid of the fireworks, leave her at home, inside the house. If you have to take her out to potty, do so before sundown. Do not take the chance that she may become so frightened that she bolts away from you into possible disaster.

Take the following steps to further ensure her safety while she’s home alone:
1. Dogs are easily influenced by our moods, so try to maintain a light frame of mind when leaving your home, don’t show that you are worried about her – she will pick up on that and become more anxious. Also, don’t try to soothe her with extra attention while you are leaving. This will only enable and exacerbate the problem by reinforcing your dog’s fear.
2. Close all doors and windows to block out the sound. Be sure they are closed completely so your dog cannot escape.
3. Turn on a radio or television to muffle the sound even more.
4. Close drapes and blinds to block out the flashes of light from the fireworks.
5. Provide a safe place where your dog will not hurt herself if she panics, such as a crate, bathroom or laundry room.
6. If your dog is already being treated for fear with a tranquilizer, sedative or other anti-anxiety medication, try to predict when the fireworks will start, and be sure you give the medication enough ahead of time (usually 30 to 60 minutes beforehand.)

Staying Home with Your Dog
If you plan to remain at home during the fireworks display, you can help ease your dog’s fears by doing the following:

1. Stay happy and calm, and do not react to the fireworks. Your body language can tell a dog that there is a reason to be afraid. Use a lighthearted tone of voice with her to let her know that nothing abnormal is taking place.
2. Do not baby your dog when she shows fear, this just reinforces the dog’s fearful behavior. Ignore the fearful behavior and reward normal behavior.
3. Block the sound and site of the fireworks by closing windows, doors and drapery; and turn up the radio or television to further drown out the sound. Turning on your fan or air conditioner can also help.
4. Allow your dog to find her own comfort zone. If she decides to go under the bed, let her stay there, don’t pull her out to comfort.
5. Distract your dog or divert her attention and keep her occupied and thinking of something other than her fear. Play her favorite game or give her a long-lasting treat such as a Kong© filled with peanut butter.

Prepare for Next Year
After the holiday, begin preparing your dog for next year’s fete by slowly desensitizing her to the sound of fireworks. Purchase a recording of a fireworks display. Suburban Fireworks by F7 Sound and Vision is a 68 minute recording of intense fireworks, specifically created for fearful dogs. Play the recording at a low volume several times a day while you are doing things your dog likes, such as giving her treats, feeding her dinner, cuddling or playing. Over the course of a week, continue to play the recording and associating it with pleasant things several times a day; but slowly begin to raise the volume of the recording. You’ll know you are increasing the volume too much too soon if your dog begins to show fear. If this happens, lower the volume to an acceptable limit and begin again. Repeat this process for a few weeks, until your dog can bear the recording at a high volume without becoming fearful.

In addition to the recording, desensitize your dog to noise in general by turning up the radio or television periodically, dropping pots and pans, speaking loudly, etc.

If this process does not allay your dogs’ fears, she may be suffering from a more severe phobia that might require medication to ease. Speak to your veterinarian to determine the best pharmaceutical course.

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I wish you the best on this holiday and throughout the year, and wish you the best of luck in easing your dog’s fears and phobias.